Havana will not abide by any American “ultimatums” to release political prisoners as part of new talks, a Cuban diplomat said Thursday, while asserting that leaders are “preparing for all scenarios” if US President Donald Trump makes good on threats to intervene in the island nation.
In an interview, Cuban Ambassador to the UN Ernesto Soberón Guzmán said internal issues regarding detainees “are not on the negotiating table”. The release of political prisoners was a key US demand as the longtime adversaries held discussions in Cuba this month for the first time in a decade.
“We have our legal system, like here in the US, they have their legal system,” he said. “So we have to respect both of our internal affairs.” In response, the State Department said in a statement that the administration remains “committed to the release of all political prisoners. The Cuban regime should stop playing games as direct talks are occurring. They have a small window to make a deal,” the statement said.
An American delegation arrived for secret meetings in Havana on April 10 in a diplomatic push to urge Cuba to make major changes to its economy and political governance or face continued economic pressure and potentially risk US military escalation. Neither side has named who took part, but Guzmán said it was at the undersecretary of state level for the Americans and deputy foreign minister level for the Cubans.
Despite the recent revival in diplomatic relations, tensions between the two countries have steadily increased in the last few months over a US energy blockade that has further strained economic and other crises in the Caribbean country.
Trump has threatened tariffs on any country that sells or supplies oil to Cuba and said the US might have “the honor of taking Cuba” following military operations in Venezuela and Iran. The State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Guzmán's remarks.
The blockade, coupled with the island's severe water and power shortages, has deepened poverty and increased hunger across Cuba as severe blackouts persist.
In late March, a Russian tanker carrying 730,000 barrels became the first fuel shipment Cuba had received in three months. Guzmán said that the shipment has been able to fulfill only a fraction of what the country needs to operate.
Other concerns the US raised during the meeting this month centered on the influence of foreign powers on the island, the AP has reported. The Americans also discussed proposals to compensate hundreds of thousands of legal claims by Cuban Americans whose homes, businesses and land were seized after revolutionary leader Fidel Castro took power in 1959.
Guzmán confirmed that such compensation was among the topics at the meeting and that Havana is receptive to it. But, he added, that it could only happen in conjunction with reciprocal economic relief for the decades-long economic embargo against Cuba.
“There is not only this claim but also the claim from our side because the embargo has an economic impact,” he said. “This is a highway with two directions.” Asked whether Cuban officials can trust diplomatic efforts amid US threats, Guzmán said that while they are optimistic about creating a “new approach” to US-Cuban relations, the Trump administration's foreign policy approach in the last year has put them on high alert.
Also read: Cuban President warns US against trying to depose him
Follow us
